Venessa: A Game of Storytelling

Some of the most interesting design work being done today can be found in our world’s design schools. Not only are its students the future of the industry, seeing the ways they wield paper in our digital world gives us keen insights into the role paper and print might play in coming years.

Katie Story‘s “Venessa: A Game of Storytelling” – a project she created for a class at The Pratt Institute – is an elegant variation on the old game in which a group of people each contribute to an overarching story, one paragraph at a time. Inspired by Italo Calvino’s book Invisible Stories,

“players draw tiles depicting the fantastical cities from Calvino’s book. Using the words on the tiles, players construct a narrative and map of their story. The name ‘Venessa’ is a pun on Venice, the inspiration for Calvino’s cities.”

To start, all 55 tiles are placed in the cloth bag provided, and drawn from it one by one like runes.

“I printed and assembled the packaging myself,” says Katie, who used a letterpress to produce all of the artwork, while an inkjet printer was used to add the text you see here.

The result is a fun and imaginative alternative to done-to-death digital distractions that not only encourages group play, but hones the imagination and delights the fingertips simultaneously. In short: there’s nothing “Invisible” about Venessa’s appeal.